Back to me
by Nina Fionnlagh
Summary: Elena and Damon have something. And now that they're spending so much time together she can't deny her feelings anymore. But who is better for her? Now you can read the story in Russian, find the link in my profile.
1. The start of a new life

**1. ****The start of a new life**

Elena kissed Stefan before leaving the boarding house.

"I love you" Stefan whispered against her lips and she smiled and kissed him again.

"I really have to leave" Elena apologized, she had to, but she didn't want to. It was clear that Stefan didn't want it either but he couldn't do anything about it.

Elena stepped out of Stefan's room and walked downstairs. She was going towards the door when she found a big noise.

"Stefan?" She asked but got no reply. Probably he had left to feed from some rabbit or bird or something. Elena walked through the living room, directing her steps to the place where the noise had come from. There was no other sound and she frowned. She heard another noise similar to the one from before. She saw Damon holding a mirror in one hand, an empty glass in the other. Before she could say anything or he noticed her presence he let the mirror fall to the floor where it broke with a tremendous noise.

"Don't you know that breaking a mirror gives bad luck for seven years?" she asked half sarcastically, trying to wonder what Damon was up to this time. He turned around to face her and by the way he looked at her, she realized that he was drunk. Otherwise he would have noticed her presence before.

"Elena!" He smiled and then tried to drink just to realize that the glass he was holding was empty. "Damn it" he swore and then let the glass fall.

"Are you going to tell me why you're breaking everything?"

"Why is everything so fragile?" he asked looking his hands. Elena frowned again trying to understand if there was something behind his words or not. Then Damon looked at her and walked towards her, his closeness made her feel uncomfortable and take a deep breath but she didn't walk back. "Where's my brother?"

"I don't know." She replied slowly.

"And why are you still here?" he raised an eyebrow grinning that catlike-grin of his.

"Are you okay, Damon?"

"Why wouldn't I be okay? The sun shines which makes my eyes ache. Yep, life is great, it has only taken me a hundred and forty-five years to realize that the reason of my existence, that the one thing I was after, wasn't worth it." He said those words smiling and with a monotone tone of voice but Elena felt something deep inside of her contract, she felt really sorry for him.

"Does our existence really have to have a reason?" she asked trying to comfort him.

"Well now it doesn't." He replied simply showing the palms of his hands.

"You don't love her anymore, Damon." She wasn't sure of why she was saying this.

"I don't?"

"No. You've just been obsessed with her because she was the love of your life. You have convinced yourself that she was the reason for your existence and you've dedicated all your life to her. And now you didn't find her, you have to convince yourself that you still love her because if not, these last a hundred and forty-five years wouldn't make any sense. But you don't. And I'll tell you something, Damon, you can start a new life. Without her." Damon smiled and his eyes looked somehow happy. "And you could try to do goodness, repair all the wrong things that you've done or at least try not to do anymore." He shook his head with discontent.

"The last part was avoidable."

"I had to try." Elena smiled.

"I know." He accepted. He turned around and filled two glasses with liquor and then gave one of them to Elena. "I propose a toast for my new life."

"I don't think you shouldn't drink anymore" but before she had finished her sentence he had already finished his glass and was taking hers to empty it too. Elena felt angry but at the same time understood that he should be feeling miserable and decided that the best would be to leave him do whatever he wanted while he didn't hurt anyone. Damon took her face with his two hands and she felt somehow uncomfortable, her heart racing as she stared into those ice-cold blue eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're absolutely adorable?" He asked.

"You're drunk."

"That's true" he nodded and then sighed.

"Let me take you to your bed." She offered him, the best would be to get him to sleep.

"Elena! What will Stefan think?" He asked funnily.

"You know what I mean." Elena rolled her eyes. He put his arm around her shoulders and she took him by the waist to help him walk. She helped him upstairs and then drove him to his bedroom. There he hugged her and she didn't oppose any resistance. She knew that he was feeling bad, he needed to be comforted. She hugged him back and he sank his face on her shoulder. For a second Elena thought that he was crying, but it was difficult to tell because he made no sound, she decided that she wouldn't make any comment no matter if he was or not. When Damon got away from her and looked her in the eyes his were red so she supposed that she had been right.

"Have a nice rest, Damon" she said sincerely. He didn't reply so she just left the room. When she was downstairs she found Stefan, he looked at her surprised.

"I thought you had left."

"Damon is not okay, Stefan. I think that now he's sleeping but you'd better take care of him."

"Why are you so worried?" There was a tone of disgust in his voice.

"Just walk where you step on. He has broken nearly all the glasses you had." She ignored the tone of his voice and the distrust it contained. "Now I'm leaving." She kissed him briefly. "I love you, see you tomorrow."

Stefan watched her as she left and then went upstairs to see how his brother was doing. He found he was asleep and he left to his own bedroom, to have a rest himself, he was tired.


	2. Old Friends

**2. Old friends**

The sun was shining in Mystic Falls when Elena arrived to school. Caroline was at the door and it was as if she was waiting for someone. She barely say hello to Elena when she passed next to her. She didn't see her in the rest of the day. She was with Stefan when at the break they went to the cafeteria and found Bonnie. Elena sat in front of her friend and Stefan next to her. Caroline was quickly getting out of the building.

"What's wrong with her?" Elena asked.

Bonnie looked at Caroline and clicked with her tongue.

"It's that new guy. She's been obsessed with him since she arrived." She replied.

"I thought she was already over my brother." Stefan commented.

"She is. There is a new guy. I think his name is Sam. I haven't met him yet but Caroline wouldn't stop talking about him. She says he's beautiful, nice, strong and I quote: tremendously hot."

"Is he in high school?" Elena asked.

"Nope, I think he's on an exchange from the university or something like that. She doesn't talk that much about where he comes from, only about his appearance. You know Caroline."

When the classes finished Stefan and Elena went to have a walk together.

"You look worried." Elena commented.

"That Sam..."

"Do we have to suspect about everyone, Stefan? I'm becoming paranoid and I think that so are you."

"Probably," he admitted " but believe me, I have my reasons to doubt about this one."

Elena didn't say anything. She really thought that this paranoia had taken control of them but she didn't want to discuss about it and less when he firmly believed it.

They drove to the boarding house. When they entered the living room they found Damon with two girls, he was taking blood from one of them as they all danced. Stefan tightened and Elena looked the other way around, feeling deeply uncomfortable.

"Look, we have visit." Damon smiled. "Stefan, do you want to take some?" he offered raising the girl's arm. Elena was shocked and even more when she realized that the girls seemed to be having fun. "Oh, right, I forgot you already had some of your own." He said bitterly while he stared at Elena.

"Is this your perfect way to start a new life and forget about Katherine?" Elena asked without caring about harming him.

"Do you suggest something better?" Damon smiled briefly.

"Let's go, Elena." Stefan entered the conversation. But then someone knocked at the principal door. Damon snorted.

"Is everyone trying to destroy fun?" He asked.

"Alright, girls, time to go." Stefan told the two girls who looked sad to go. He gave them their coats and opened for them the back door. When they had left he went to open the front door.

Caroline was there with a smile upon her face and a beautiful boy at her arm. Stefan's body straightened as he saw them and saw did Damon's which led Elena to think that there was danger or that they knew him.

"These are the Salvatore brothers" Caroline explained. "And now I have to go. I'd be glad to stay but my mother wants to take me to my grandma's. Mother stuff. Be nice with him, guys. Hi, Elena! This is Sam by the way. See you!" she left and Elena realized that the boy hadn't detached his eyes from Stefan and that he and his brother were staring at him.

"How is it possible?" Stefan asked.

"By the same way that it's possible for me to see you here." Sam replied with a smile. "It's been very long since the last time I saw you."

Stefan relaxed and he smiled a friendly smile.

"You can come in without an invitation."

"I thought you had already forgotten me." They hugged. Elena looked at Damon trying to get an explanation.

"Who is he?" she asked Damon.

"Samuel Forbes."

"He's from Caroline's family?" Elena nearly laughed thinking of the girl at Sam's arm trying to seduce him. But then she realized something more important. "How is it possible?" She asked but already had the answer.

"He was Stefan's best friend in 1864 and well, I suppose he has to be a vampire. He looks far too good to be a corpse." Damon explained with a forced smile.

"Who turned you?" Elena heard Stefan's voice ask.

There was a moment of silence in which they all understood.


	3. True motives

**3. True motives**

There was a moment of silence in which they all understood but however when Sam talked, his voice was friendly and he avoided the question.

"That happened a long time ago. I'm staying for some time, can I stay here?"

"If you are prepared to follow Stefan's diet." Damon answered sarcastically.

"You have a diet?" he asked with amusement.

"He doesn't drink human blood." Damon continued.

"That's interesting. I could try." Sam smiled and then looked at Elena. He hadn't realized her presence until now and when he looked at her he tilted his head to one side. "Katherine?" he said.

"Elena Gilbert." She introduced herself without giving time to anyone to do it for her.

"A Gilbert?" Sam asked confused. There was something in his eyes, the way he looked at her that she didn't like. Then he looked at Damon who was next to her and at Stefan. They both had an air of protectiveness. "So the two Salvatore brothers fall in love with the same woman again. You're also playing with them both? You're also playing with everyone else?" Now she didn't like his tone, or his words. The air tightened, the ambience got uncomfortable, the situation was inconvenient. She felt tension in Damon next to her and she could also feel how Stefan approached her.

"I'm with Stefan" she replied without losing the eye contact with him and raising an eyebrow. She felt Stefan's hand reach her arm. "And the only thing Katherine and I have in common is what your eyes can see."

"I'm sorry for that." Sam laughed but the ambient was still full of tension.

Damon and Elena left them some time later because they decided that probably as old friends they would have many things they wanted to talk about. Stefan didn't want them to leave but at the end he accepted. Elena decided to go home and Damon offered himself to get her there, in fact the only thing he wanted was to get out of the house.

"Why are you getting me home, anyway?" she asked him.

"Stefan's not the only one worried about you being safe, Elena." She was surprised at the sincerity in his voice. "Sam can be my brother's best friend, but he's been pretty unpleasant to you." Elena didn't want to think about that again. "And even though he said that he has come alone, I don't trust him. I've seen evil too many times."

When they got to Elena's door they stopped.

"You had fun with those two girls?" she asked him sarcastically.

"Not as much as I would have with you."

"Nice attempt. But it didn't work." Damon smiled. "Promise me that you'll take care of yourself, Damon."

"Stop worrying about me. We're a punch of vampires and one of them has been unpleasant to you, you should be worried for yourself."

"Please?" she tried again.

"Okay, I promise. But stop being so nice to me or Stefan will have a motive for being jealous."

"Oh, shut up!" she hit him softly and playfully and then turned around without another word.

"Goodnight!" he said and she didn't reply, she just looked at him and smiled.

When Damon got home Stefan had left, he had gone hunting. He found Sam in the living room drinking a cup of liquor. He pretended to go upstairs without saying anything to him but Sam spoke.

"So that little Katherine-like girl is with your brother, I see." He said. Damon turned around with his eyes half closed.

"You're my brother's guest and I know you since you were a kid but I will give you an advice: do not mess up with me. I wouldn't mind so much about listening Stefan's complains when I killed you if it was for a good reason. So don't give me a reason to do it."

"And you seriously think you could win against me." Sam laughed and before he could react Damon was in front of him and had taken him by the throat. Sam couldn't move but Damon let go of him, but he was still angry. Sam tossed and tried to clear his throat. "I didn't come here to fight with you."

"I know, I know, you came to visit my brother, it didn't have anything to do with me."

"It did, in fact." Damon stared at him confused and waiting for further explanation. "Katherine sent me for you. I know where she is. She said I should tell you where you could find her."


	4. New reasons

**4. **** New reasons**

There was a moment of silence. Damon tilted his head to one side as Sam continued talking.

"She has finally decided who she loves, Damon, and it is you."

"You're lying" Damon refused the information shaking his head.

"Why should I?"

"Because you love her!" he shouted "and you wouldn't have come to tell me."

"So why am I telling you if it is just a lie? Which benefit do I get from this?" Sam continued with his calm tone of voice.

"Why should I know?" Damon felt rage inside of him, a deep rage. "Why didn't she herself come, then? Why didn't she come and tell it to me herself? Why did she send you?" He didn't wait to get an answer to his questions. "Alright, maybe it's true, maybe you're not lying. And in that case I want you to go back to the place you came from and tell Katherine that I don't have anything to do with her anymore. You tell her that she's had enough time to come looking for me; that she's had a hundred and forty five years. But that she has come too late. I don't want her. I'm over her."

Sam stared at him, he was clearly surprised. "I suppose that means you're in love with the little new one."

"I suggest you leave now. Your visit hasn't any sense any more. Don't worry, I will explain it to Stefan."

"I don't feel like leaving yet." Sam replied half innocently half defiantly. Damon's smile disappeared and he looked at his visitor, rage in his eyes.

"Okay, let me explain it to you in a way you can understand it. You can leave now or otherwise I'll rip your throat out."

When Stefan arrived some time later he was surprised that Sam wasn't there. He looked for his friend all around the house until he got back to the living room where Damon was sitting on the couch with a glass in his hand.

"Don't bother looking for him." Damon said grimly. "He has left."

"What did you tell him?" Stefan looked angry, he was pretty sure that if his friend had left much of the blame was to be put on Damon.

"I just told him what YOU should have told him in the first place." He got up and took a step towards his brother. "What you should have said when he insulted Elena the way he did. You may not care because Sam is your friend but I personally didn't like at all what he was suggesting." Somehow his words reflected that his own pride had been hurt because of the way Elena had been treated.

"It was just an innocent question, Damon. And anyway why should you care? You heard her words, she was clear, I don't think that I have to explain it to you again. She is with me." He was now very close to Damon, with that menacing air and that was something that he didn't like at all. Damon hit his brother so strong that Stefan was projected against the wall. He was in shock and it took him a moment to get up again.

"Don't get on my nerves, brother." Damon said. "I know it."


	5. Caught

**5. Caught**

"I'm sorry for what happened with Sam." Stefan said.

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault." Elena answered smiling, trying to get some of the responsibility out of him.

"It was, he is my friend and I should have said something, I should have defended you."

"It's okay. How's Sam, by the way?"

"He has left." He wasn't going to tell her about the true reason why he had left partly because he himself didn't know the whole story.

"That's a pity. I mean for you. You finally find your friend again and he leaves immediately."

"People change and even more if they become vampires. It's a hard life. I know he was my friend but I didn't want him to stay. He wasn't being nice to you." Stefan kissed her and Elena smiled. They were now at Elena's door. "See you later. I love you."

"See you later." Elena closed the door behind her and went upstairs to her bedroom. She sat on the bed when she heard the door bell ring. Her bedroom door was open and she saw Jenna going downstairs to open. She didn't pay much attention and closed her door to sit on her bed again. A few seconds later her aunt got in her bedroom.

"Elena, there's a friend of yours who has come to visit you."

Elena frowned and when she saw Sam behind her aunt she felt fear wrap her and her breath get more rapid. Jenna had invited him in.

"I'll leave you alone." She added as she left.

"Hello Elena." Sam said smiling once they were alone.

"What are you doing here?" she asked trying to look serene.

"You're afraid of me?" He walked around her like a predator who is hunting its prey making it feel impotent and small. He was examining her. "You're horribly beautiful, just like Katherine. Why do you look so much like her? You can't be a Gilbert have to be a Pierce." Elena remained in silence while he spoke. "Either way, I don't care who you are." She had her lungs prepared to scream but before she could do it he had put a hand upon her mouth so that no sound could possibly come out of it.

It was late when Damon went to Elena's house looking for Stefan. It was Jeremy who opened the door and he didn't look very surprised to see him there.

"Hello, Damon. Elena's not here." He told him. Damon frowned.

"Is Stefan here?" He asked already knowing the answer to his question.

"No."

"Since when is Elena not here?" He wasn't sure why but he was suspicious that something wasn't right. Elena could perfectly be with his brother somewhere on Mystic Falls, having a walk, but something inside of him made him doubt this assumption.

"I came home like three hours ago. She wasn't here then." Damon was about to go but in that moment Jenna came to the door from behind Jeremy.

"If you're looking for Elena" she said "I haven't seen her since a friend came to visit her. She probably left with him but she didn't say anything."

"Who was this friend?" Damon asked slowly.

"He was a new boy in town. He told me his name was Sam."

Damon felt the rage take him over. So Sam came to visit her and Elena disappeared without telling her aunt that she was leaving the house. What a weird coincidence!

"If you see her tell her to answer the phone." Jenna didn't look very happy because of Elena not replying to her calls.

"Don't worry, I'll bring her home." He really meant it.


	6. Priorities

**6. ****Priorities**

Damon was calling Stefan, but he wouldn't get an answer.

"Damn it!" he shouted. Where could he be? But most important now was where Elena was. Where had Sam taken her? Suddenly his phone started ringing and he answered it without looking who it was, he assumed that it was Stefan. "Okay, little brother, where are you?"

"I think you're confused." Sam's voice replied. Damon looked at his phone's screen. The call was from Elena's phone.

"Where are you?" Damon asked full of rage. He could barely control himself.

"That's more like yourself." He was being sarcastic and Damon wasn't in the mood to stand sarcasm right now. "Come to the abandoned house if you don't want to find your little human dead."

"If you think that I care about her, then you're completely wrong. You got the wrong Salvatore. Try to call Stefan and ask him to answer my calls."

"I see, you think I'm a fool. Do you really want me to believe that you don't care if I kill her? It's your decision, if you're not here in an hour I'll kill her." Sam hung up the phone.

Damon tried to remain calm as he raced to the abandoned house. Once there he got in as quietly as he could so that Sam didn't notice his presence. He got in very easily and got to where Elena was the same way. It had been too easy, but he didn't think of that in that moment.

Elena was tied up to a chair, with rope which didn't let her talk. Damon untied her, she looked very nervous.

"It's a trap, Damon." She said once she could talk. "Let's get out of here now." She saw in his eyes that he wanted to kill Sam, but she had to get him out of there, otherwise they would both end up dead.

However they didn't have enough time, Elena heard a shot and she couldn't help screaming. Damon fell to the ground and she stopped running to go next to him. The bullet had hit him in the shoulder. He was moaning in pain but at the same time trying to get up.

"They are made of wood." Sam said taking Elena, who wasn't strong enough to get rid of him. He shot Damon again who screamed in agony. Elena felt the tears coming to her eyes as she felt impotent.

"What do you want?" he managed to say with a lot of effort.

"Katherine wants you, I have to kill you, then. I can't let you live."

"I told you I don't want her." Damon said now trying to get the bullets out. Elena was in shock, she was nearly sobbing and terrorised but she was surprised when she heard those words coming out of Damon's mouth.

"Please let him go." Elena pleaded, her voice trembling.

"Katherine doesn't love me." It took so much effort for Damon to talk that it was painful to listen to him. "She doesn't love anyone. She's not worth it, she's not worth all this effort. It took me a hundred and forty-five years to realize. You can be smarter."


	7. Life or death

**7. ****Life or death**

Sam was doubting, it was reflected in his eyes, in the way his hands shacked now. He shot Damon once more and Elena screamed, she couldn't believe it, she was sure that he was going to die, that we wouldn't make it, and the next would be her. She heard something, someone moving and for a second thought that it was Stefan. Sam screamed when a stake got through his back. Pearl was behind him when he fell dead to the ground.

Elena fell on her knees next to Damon.

"We have to get him out of here." Pearl said in a calm voice. Elena looked at her and nodded.

Elena wanted to help but Pearl was strong enough to carry Damon. She said she would take care of Sam's corpse later. They arrived to Pearl's house. There they put him on the bed and Pearl took forceps to extract the bullets. He was still unconscious.

Elena waited outside by Pearl's orders. She tried to call Stefan so that he came to help his brother but he didn't answer to her calls. When Pearl got out of the room, Elena went to her nervous.

"He's alive. Well, all the alive that someone like him can be." Elena's body relaxed. "But one of the bullets passed really near his heart and he's severely wounded. I have to go leave the town, I don't know how many they were and I want to find out. He can stay here but he will need to be assisted frequently."

"I will take care of him."

"But are you sure that you can be here every time he needs to be assisted?"

Elena wanted to say that she was sure but the truth was that she wasn't. She went to the boarding house to find Stefan so that he went with her and took Damon home but to her surprise she didn't find him there. She walked into his room and called him but got no reply. She found a letter on his bed. She took it and read it carefully.

_Elena, love, I hope you get to read this soon before you get worried._

_I had to leave quickly but I'll be back very soon. I'll explain everything to you when I get back._

_I'm sorry I didn't have time to tell you in person._

_I'll see you really soon, my love._

_I love you._

_Stefan._

For one second she wondered if maybe some vampires had come to take him by force. But this was without doubt Stefan's writing and she knew that if this had been the case he would have managed to somehow give her a message in the letter, but there was no message, everything was normal except the fact that he had left without saying anything.

Elena thought about her options. The most obvious was that Damon stayed in the boarding house but then again she had the same problem than if he stayed at Pearl's. She got back to Pearl's house to tell her about the news and with a decision.

"I can take him to my house. Jenna won't mind, I'm sure she will accept."

It was easier to convince Jenna than she had thought in the beginning. Damon was assigned the guests' room. Elena didn't have to make up much of a story, she just explained that Sam was mad and that he had shot Damon. Jenna was really worried even though Elena tried to convince her that Sam had left town. Now she was sitting on the bed next to Damon. He was unconscious and his eyelids moved as if he was having a nightmare. She took his hand and he relaxed a little bit. She couldn't stop thinking about what Damon had said before about Katherine. It was hard for her to believe that he really didn't want Katherine any longer. Damon's chest had been bandaged. Elena felt something inside of her arise as she watched him, he had nearly died today. He had nearly died to save her.

* * *

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	8. Lonely blood

**8. ****Lonely blood**

Stefan had taken his car and had been driving during at least six hours now. He was tired but he couldn't stop now, he had nearly arrived. Many things were going on in his head. On one hand he felt as if he was betraying Elena because he hadn't told her the whole truth. But he was planning to get back very soon. He wanted to see Sam at least one last time to tell him goodbye. He knew that he had been rude to Elena but they had been friends during a lot of time and even though he would always be on Elena's side, he wanted to get an explanation from his friend. He also wanted to make sure that there were no others coming, or at least not without him knowing it. His phone had run out of battery hours ago and until he didn't stop he wouldn't be able to charge it.

When he finally got to the place that Sam had told him it was a very big house on the outskirts of a town. He rang the bell and got no reply. He found out that the door wasn't locked so he just entered. It was dark inside the house but it wasn't a problem for him to see in the dark.

"I was waiting for you, Stefan Salvatore." A voice he already knew said. It was a childish, feminine voice and he didn't need to turn around to see who it was. He recognized it immediately even though he hadn't heard it in a hundred and forty-five years.

* * *

Elena got into the guests' bedroom with a wet cloth. She sat next to Damon and slowly put the cloth on his wounds. He opened his eyes with effort.

"You're conscious!" Elena smiled and hugged him, but he moaned in pain and she got away quickly.

"You have to be kidding. I'm unconscious because of three miserable bullets?" his voice sounded disappointed but he smiled that smile of his.

"Pearl told me that it was because one of them had gone really close to your heart." There was a brief moment of silence in which Elena continued cleaning his wounds.

"Why am I in your house?" Damon asked confused looking around him.

"Because I couldn't take care of you anywhere else." She replied simply trying not to give it much importance.

"And where's Stefan?"

"I don't know. It was very weird. He just left a letter saying that he had to leave. He doesn't answer to his phone which makes me suppose that he forgot it or maybe that it has no battery. I've rejected the idea of him being caught because there were no signs of violence, no secret message, nothing. So he probably just had to leave and he will explain everything when he comes back. So I was the only one left to take care of you, sorry if you don't like it."

"Oh, no please. Since I saw you in the Halloween party with that nurse costume I've always been hoping you took care of me someday. And now that Stefan's not here..."

"You're stupid."

"Maybe when I'm recovered?" He raised an eyebrow, seductively.

She laughed and then got serious for an instant. "You saved my life."

"It was me that he wanted. Not you. And anyway I owed you, remember?"

"Right." She smiled remembering the time she saved his life. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm thankful." She put the cloth aside. "Now I have to go to class. Life continues in Mystic Falls." She sighed.

"Don't worry, I won't die while you're out. I'll wait for you to come back."

"It's not funny." Elena rolled her eyes while he laughed.

* * *

"You mean Stefan has just gone?" Bonnie asked and Elena nodded. "Alright, don't tell me, you want me to find out where he is." Bonnie tried to guess what Elena was going to ask her. "Elena, you know I don't control this yet."

"No. I wasn't going to ask you that. I was just telling you."

"If he left you a letter then it means he has to be alright. Don't worry, he knows how to defend himself."

"I know." Elena accepted.

"My aunt's coming this weekend so I won't be seeing you until Monday." Bonnie explained when they were saying goodbye. "It's not really the kind of ambient I like, you know, now that grandma's dead."

"That's alright, don't worry. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come over to my house." She offered her.

"I'd love to but you know that I can't. See you on Monday!"

"Bye!"

Elena got in her car and drove home. Her mind was racing as she thought about how Damon would be. When she got out of her car and into the house, she found a smiling Jenna and that made her relax a little bit.

"Hi, Elena." Jenna said. "Your friend is preparing something to eat and it smells quite good." Elena clenched her teeth and walked in the kitchen ready to start shouting. She found Damon moving with difficulty and preparing something in a frying pan.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He looked at her with a smile on his face.

"Cooking." He replied simply, with his sarcastic tone, like if she was a little kid to whom he had to explain everything so that she could understand.

"I can see that."

"So why did you ask?" He was enjoying this.

"You know what I mean! You're wounded, Damon, you should stay in bed."

"Oh, come on, Elena, you can't be serious. You really didn't expect me to stay in bed all day long, did you?"

"Well, I did." She recognized but now thinking about it she had to admit that it didn't make so much sense.

"Maybe if you had been in there too." He smirked. Elena rolled her eyes and got closer to him to try to help him with the food. "Don't mind, I've finished."

"The food was really good." Jenna congratulated Damon.

Elena helped Damon upstairs who went up with difficulty and when they were in his bedroom he sat on the bed.

"Elena, I need blood." She was shocked at the beginning and then felt stupid because of that, she hadn't even thought of it and it was quite obvious. "I've lost too much blood and I need it." Her eyes opened waiting for something she could do about it. "There is a reserve in the boarding house, not so much left but there is still some that I took from the hospital. "I don't want you to go alone, though."

"Well, I don't see any other option. And no, you're not coming with me."

Elena arrived some time later with a few bags of blood in her trunk. She put them in her purse and got in the house. Damon put them all in an improvised fridge he had made in what now was his bedroom but he was right, there was little left. He opened one of them and served himself blood in a cup. Elena looked at it amazed. She thought she would be disgusted at it, but it wasn't exactly disgust what she was experiencing right now. It wasn't like if he was hurting someone.

* * *

Damon got in Elena's bedroom silently. She was asleep and her breath was slow and loud. He sat next to her and watched her sleeping. She looked so vulnerable and so beautiful. He caressed her hair and she made a weird sound, like the sound a kitten would make. She was taking care of him... He leaned to kiss her forehead and her breath got a little quicker. When he left her bedroom Elena opened her eyes slowly, now that he had left it was useless to try to control the rhythm of her heart beats.

* * *

**When I was writing this chapter I thought about Elena offering her blood to Damon and after I read IkeaGoddess' review I reconsidered it. I just thought that it wasn't the right moment (in my opinion). So what do you think?**

**Thanks for your reviews!**


	9. The mess I made

**9****. The mess I made**

BSO for this chapter:

The mess I made – Parachute

_Dear Diary,_

_Stefan left the day before yesterday and since then I haven't had any news. I know he's alright because if something wrong had happened to him I would know it. But what is most weird is that I don't want him to come back yet. I don't know why, but lately my feelings are starting to be contradictory._

_Damon's doing much better, he has even prepared lunch! I suppose the blood is helping him. Yesterday he was so sweet. He could have tried to do something more but instead he didn't. I know all this sounds very weird. Damon likes to be a jerk but at the same time this makes him so lovable... He didn't even ask for my blood but I guess he's running short of it and I wouldn't say no if he asked for mine..._

_Right now I feel somehow like Katherine, torn between the two brothers. The difference is that I haven't anything with Damon... yet, that I've always made it clear that I'm with Stefan... I think. But right now I don't know what I want anymore. I don't want to be Katherine, but I don't want to choose right now either._

Elena got in Damon's room. He had a funny look and Elena noticed it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He shook his head and smiled. "I just got a call from the sheriff. They want me to go this afternoon to a meeting of the council."

"Will you be recovered?" she asked him and sat next to him. He took off his shirt so that she could see his wounds. She stared at his naked chest, why was he so terribly beautiful and irresistible?

"Sure. I'm already alright." It wasn't totally true but he wouldn't accept that he wasn't totally okay. There was a brief moment of silence.

"I've always wanted to ask you something." He looked at her. "Who were you before Katherine broke your heart?"

Damon laughed as he stared into Elena's eyes, she felt startled by the beauty in them. There was no pain, though, as she expected to find.

"This is who I am now." He simply answered but there was no mockery in his voice only resignation and acceptance and also probably some pride.

"I know." Elena whispered unable to speak louder. He was so close to her right now that it was even hard to breathe.

"Do you have news from Stefan?" She couldn't believe that he was talking about Stefan right now and she really felt hurt that he did. She shook her head and he caressed her cheek. He got closer but right now the thought of Stefan was too present on her mind. She was staring at those lips, perhaps and thought she wouldn't be able to resist them. But she got away in the last moment. She felt tears coming to her eyes as she turned away, she wasn't able to look at him, she couldn't let him see her cry. Her tears were of guilt because if he hadn't mentioned Stefan she would have kissed him, of rage because he had talked about something he shouldn't have and of regret that she hadn't kissed him. She breathed slowly and got out of the room, expecting him to go after her. But he didn't.


	10. Let it be real

**10****. Let it be real**

Damon left the house to go to the meeting without saying anything to Elena. She was still in her bedroom. It was about 8.00 p.m when her bedroom's door opened. She was lying on her bed, facing the wall and wasn't in the mood to look who it was but she supposed it would be Jenna. She waited for her aunt to say something, but she didn't. Elena just heard the footsteps and then someone was lying on the bed behind her with a hand around her waist. She felt so comfortable this way, feeling his breath on the back of her neck. Her feelings started mixing and her head was confused. She took his hand.

Elena felt Damon's lips pressing against her shoulder blade and she moaned as her body tightened. She was expecting him to try something more and she was sure that she would have given in to him. Her body vibrated when he kissed her neck, she didn't move. She felt as if nothing in the world could be worth enough to make her unwrap herself of his arms.

"Elena, you're not going to have dinner?" Jenna's voice asked from downstairs and Elena started. Damon let go of her and got up, so did she.

"How was the council meeting?" She asked him as they got downstairs.

"Well, they want me to get them more vervain which means that tomorrow I'll have to go for some." Elena didn't want him to go.

"Are you sure you can go on a trip right now?" she asked trying to look as if she didn't care so much.

"You really don't want me to leave, do you?" Damon laughed though his teeth instead of answering her question and that made her angry because she thought that maybe he knew what she was thinking.

After dinner they all went to the living room and started watching TV. Damon sat next to her and she felt her gaze over her. Suddenly his voice whispered something in her ear.

"Where's your necklace?" As a reflect she took her hand to where her necklace had always been and closed it on nothing. She couldn't believe it, she touched all around her neck and didn't find it. She looked at Damon afraid.

"It must have fallen when Sam attacked me." She said.

"Don't worry." He calmed her. He took her hand and made a sign with his head. Then he let go of her hand and they both stood up and went upstairs. Elena was nervous when they got into his bedroom thinking about where the necklace could be and how it was possible that she hadn't realized until now.

"Right now I'm the only vampire here." Damon said calmly. "I'll bring you some tomorrow."

Elena wasn't going to ask him if she was safe with him, they had already gone through that once and now she was sure that she could trust him. Because, anyway, what could he force her to do that she didn't want to already? She was paralysed when that thought crossed her mind and she shook her head but it was true.

"What do you want from me?" She asked and Damon thought that somehow he could also ask her that question. She felt stupid listening those words come out of her mouth, they were out of context and extremely stupid. She needed to go, so she didn't wait to get an answer.

"I-I... I'm going to sleep." She said turning around but felt Damon's hand grab hers and she felt all her body convulse as she stopped. He pulled her closer and kissed her lips. She was just unable to resist him, but she didn't want to move away. She wanted to kiss him and when she felt his tongue touch her lips all her resistance fell apart. Even though she felt like dreaming she stopped kissing him when she heard footsteps next to the door. He moved away and smiled.

"Goodnight." He said and she smiled back before going out and getting in her room.

When she was in bed she touched her lips and smiled.

* * *

**Thanks to all those who add this story to favorites and story alerts! I really appreciate reviews!**


	11. I think I love you

**1****1. I think I love you**

When Elena woke up it was quite late. She still remembered what had happened last night and wasn't sure if it had only been a dream. She got downstairs and found Aunt Jenna and Jeremy prepared to leave.

"We're going to spend all day out." Jenna told her. Elena remembered Jenna saying something about that. "I didn't want to wake you up, but now that you're awake, do you want to come?"

"Not really." Elena said sincerely.

"That's alright, don't worry. See you tonight!" Jenna said before she and Jeremy left the house.

Elena ate some cereals and then got upstairs. She found Damon getting out of his room with a smile on his face.

"We need to talk before you leave." Elena said firmly. Damon nodded and they got into Elena's bedroom and sat on the bed. "I... I don't know what significance has for you what happened yesterday but..."

"You still love Stefan." Damon said simply.

"It's not that. I mean... yes I do... I think. I'm very confused right now, Damon. That's why I need you to tell me what it meant for you."

"I want you." He explained as if it was something obvious staring into her eyes.

"In what sense, Damon? I mean... I know maybe I'm asking too much and I should just shut up, but I need to know..."

"In the sense that I want to be with you, I want you to choose me instead of him." Elena felt relief when she heard those words even though something contracted inside of her at the same time.

"When Stefan comes back I'll have to choose between you two. And I don't know what I'm going to do because I've always thought he was the one... but now I'm not that sure anymore. And I think... I think I love you and so I need to know if you feel the same. I know it's hard, I know that after what happened with Katherine..."

Damon's phone started ringing. He looked at the screen where it was written _SHERIFF. _He didn't pick it up, instead he switched his phone off. But now Elena was feeling very nervous and uncomfortable. It had been hard for her to tell him how she felt and now that she had been interrupted she felt that she couldn't continue.

"I think you have to leave." She said.

"Since I'm conscious I haven't seen my jacket." He said and it took a second for Elena to realize what he was talking about. She tilted her head to one side so that he followed her and so he did. She took it from the cupboard where she had put it and gave it to him.

Damon was putting his jacket on with a grimace. His wounds still hurt a little. Elena went to help him, it was obvious that he wasn't totally recovered yet. She asked herself why he left then, why he didn't stay a little longer there with her. She remembered that she had been the one to tell him, but at the same time she felt disappointed and really stupid because he hadn't answered to what she had told him. But now he had to go… right? Damon looked at her, they were so close … He looked down until their gazes met. Elena could feel his breath close to her mouth, it was as if her senses left her. He leaned a little bit and then maybe because of the movement she got out of her trance.

"Didn't you have to go?"

She felt stupid immediately after those words came out of her mouth. She didn't want him to go, she wanted him to stay… she wanted… him… so badly. He smirked and put a hand around her waist pulling her closer.

"Only if you ask me to go." He tilted his head to one side to see which her reaction was. Elena stared at him, incapable of saying anything. "Oh, and for what you said before... if I were you I wouldn't worry about that." He said it as if casually. Elena understood that this was the closest he was going to be to tell her that he loved her, but it was enough for her and so she smiled. She caressed his cheek and Damon kissed her getting his fingers through her hair. It was a passionate kiss, it made them go back until she was with her back pressed to the wall. Elena stopped an instant and looked into his eyes, which busted with passion, she helped him take his jacket off. She felt Damon's hands get underneath her shirt and she didn't oppose when he took it off. He kissed her collarbone and she almost melted in pleasure when she felt his tongue on her neck. She took his shirt off and Damon kissed her again, they moved, he was leading her steps and she didn't know where until she fell over the bed. Damon was over her and she got back helping her with her hands so that both of them could fit all over the bed. She moaned when she felt Damon's hands taking her jeans off, as his hands caressed her legs tenderly. She rolled from behind him so that it was her the one being over him and he smiled placing his hands on her waist when she leaned down to kiss him.

* * *

Damon was tickling her and she couldn't stop laughing.

"Stop it." She said playfully and he did, he stared into her eyes for an instant.

"I don't want to go…" he started.

"The vervain, right." Elena remembered that.

"No, screw them. I'll get the vervain tomorrow. But I need to feed. And there is no blood left from the reserve you brought so I have to go. But I'll be back soon." He kissed her lips and got up, Elena stared at him. He was so beautiful… She took his hand and he looked at her smiling.

"Take mine." Damon's face got rigid. He remained where he was, probably he couldn't believe she was offering him her blood and Elena didn't understand why he hadn't even asked for it. "I mean it." She insisted. "You need blood, why are you going to look for it outside when I can give you what you need?" Damon sat on the bed again and Elena sat next to him.

"Are you sure?" She nodded and there was no doubt in her eyes. "Lie down." She obeyed and did it slowly. He made her lift her head to leave her beautiful neck exposed while he took her hair tenderly and placed it to the other side of her head.

"I've never done this before." There was no fear in her voice. Damon felt something inside when she told him that. She was sharing with him something she hadn't tried with Stefan…

"I promise it won't hurt." He said kissing her lips briefly and then got away to watch her neck. He leaned and licked her neck before his canines sank in. Elena felt the bite and it hurt only a little but once the initial pain was over she could only feel pleasure.

* * *

**I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter!**

**Thanks to IkeaGoddess for reminding me about the talking part, I had almost forgot that. Thank you!**


	12. And so he's back

_This is the longest chapter so far._

_I really hope you like it!_

_I'm enjoying so much writing this story! so I really hope you enjoy reading it!_

* * *

**12****. And so he's back**

Elena touched her neck again to feel the two little holes in it. She was still on bed, Damon by her side. She was mesmerized because she had always thought of that as something repulsive and inhuman but now that she had experienced it she had a completely different point of view. If the person agreed like it had been her case. Damon kissed her collarbone as she caressed his chest.

Suddenly someone rang the door bell and Elena had to get up, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

"Maybe Jenna has forgotten the keys." She put her clothes on but Damon pulled her closer before she could leave the bedroom and kissed her. Elena laughed against his lips. "Someone's waiting at the door."

"Screw them." Damon replied getting his hands underneath her shirt and it was really hard for her to let go of him, smiling.

"I'll be back in a minute." She promised. She got downstairs running and opened the front door. She felt breathless to find out who was there. "Stefan." She raised her eyebrows.

"Hello, love." He took her hands but she moved away. Stefan looked at her confused and suddenly Damon appeared behind her.

"Hello, brother." Damon smirked. Stefan remained silent for awhile. Elena automatically took her hand to her neck and Stefan realized two important things: first, she wasn't wearing her necklace; second, the mark that the bite had left. He was obviously in shock. "You could tell us where you have been." Damon suggested. "I don't really care but I suppose she does." He pointed Elena with his head. Now Stefan looked at Damon with a dangerous look in his eyes, Damon's were mocking. Stefan looked at Damon, with that angry look full of hatred.

"Come in." Elena invited him trying somehow to manage the situation, even though she didn't really want to have this conversation right now. She wanted to go back in time and remain with Damon upstairs, and do whatever her body was up to do. But right now she had to face reality. And reality had slapped her so hard that it hurt. Stefan got in and the three of them sat up in the living room.

"I know I shouldn't have left that way…" Stefan started. "I went to see Sam for a last time…"

"Oh, your friend?" Damon asked with mockery in his voice. "And that's what took you so long? It's weird because he was very busy kidnapping Elena and trying to kill us." He was playing with his brother. It wasn't really that he wanted to hurt him, but he wasn't just going to show himself guilty because he wasn't feeling guilty at all. He looked at Elena who seemed to be a little concerned, but hadn't any trace of guilt in her face either.

Stefan looked at Elena in pain. "I shouldn't have left." And he wasn't only talking about Sam nearly killing her and she knew it. Anyway he wanted to explain his reasons. "The fact is that instead of Sam I found Katherine." Elena's reaction when she heard Katherine's name was to look immediately at Damon. His expression hadn't even changed and that made her feel relief. "I told her about you, Elena, and she didn't tell me much. She is somehow related to Isobel. She had a child before becoming a vampire… but that's a different story." Now Stefan was silent, he probably expected an explanation from them, he wanted to know what had happened, he wanted to know what he could expect from now on. He felt the pain all mixed with the hatred that right now were so powerful, he had to concentrate to keep control of himself. Elena supposed that later he would continue telling her the story, now she wasn't sure of wanting to know it.

"Sam kidnapped me." Elena started, she probably owed him an explanation at least. "He's dead now." Stefan was obviously shocked at that news, Sam had been his friend a long time ago… but he understood that if he had stayed and Sam had tried to kill Elena, then probably he himself would have killed him. "Damon saved me. He was wounded so I brought him here."

"Why are you excusing yourself?" Damon asked and she could tell that he was hurt.

"I-I am not excusing myself. I'm only telling him what happened in the first place."

"Maybe he compelled you." Stefan said very seriously and Elena looked at him, unable to believe what he was suggesting. At the beginning it took her a second to realize what he was talking about. He wasn't talking about Sam and they all knew it. It was probably a way so that it was less painful for him.

"It's really easier for you this way, isn't it?" Damon asked putting her thoughts into words. She watched Damon staring at her probably to see her reaction, his whole body rigid. Elena shook her head.

"Maybe he did, you wouldn't know." Stefan insisted.

"He didn't."

"You can't be sure, Elena…"

"I know it because if I went back I wouldn't change one thing of what happened." She saw the pain take over Stefan's eyes, broken hearted, and she was really sorry for him but she was going to tell the truth. Damon's face remained static but his eyes smiled.

"It seems that history keeps repeating itself." Stefan commented. "I feared this would happen sooner or later." Then he looked at Damon severely and Elena felt terribly guilty because the last thing she wanted was to have the two brothers fighting over her. But she didn't feel guilt of what had happened with Damon, she realized to what extent she had spoken true. If she went back, she wouldn't change anything. "I think you and I have to talk." Stefan told Damon and they both stood up without breaking the visual contact and Elena stood up too so that the situation remained somehow under control even though she knew that it had escaped her control long ago.

"I don't think we have anything to discuss." Damon replied. "It's Elena's choice." Elena felt terrified even though she knew that he was right. Her feelings had been completely clear an hour ago, right now she wasn't so sure any longer. How was it possible to have changed her mind completely in only two days? She knew that once she had made her decision, she'd have to stick to it so she had to think to be completely sure.

"I want to talk to you before. No fight, I promise, just a talk and then it will be all up to Elena's choice." Damon agreed silently. "I'm going to have a little talk with my brother, Elena." Stefan explained to her directing his steps to the door and being followed by his brother.

"I'm going with you!" Elena said quickly, even though Stefan had said they were not going to fight, she didn't know if she could be sure of that fact.

Damon looked at her with something similar to tender in his eyes and she understood that she'd better stay where she was and make up her mind so that when they were back she had already made her choice.

Stefan tried to remain calm, he had made a silent promise to Elena that he wasn't going to hurt Damon and he was going to keep his word.

"What do you want to talk about?" Damon said ruthlessly.

"How could you? I mean, I expected everything from you, you're evil, I've seen you kill, I've seen you rejoice with people's suffering… but Elena!? You had to take her blood?"

"And it tasted so good… but I didn't compel her if that's what you're suggesting. But I don't see why I should give you any kind of explanation. I'm not going to make up any excuse, Stefan. You were the one who left."

"I know I left… and I should have thought about this happening. I don't know why I trusted you, Damon."

"I didn't make her do anything she didn't want to!" Damon exploded, he wasn't really angry but he didn't like where this conversation was leading to. "Everything she did, she did it with completely free will."

"And everything YOU did, too?"

"She agreed, Stefan. Damn it!" He had said that he wasn't going to give him any explanation and this was exactly what he was doing.

"I know that you're still hurt because of what happened with Katherine, Damon, but this was too much."

Damon felt like punching his brother and he would have done it if Elena wasn't waiting for them.

"Listen…" he bit his fist. "It wasn't for vengeance, I'm over Katherine."

"Does that mean that you love Elena?" Stefan asked startled. Damon breathed hard, he didn't answer. "Why her, Damon?" He shook his head. "No… No. You're not over Katherine, that's why you try to replace her with Elena." Damon was tired and angry that Stefan didn't get his point but now he raised an eyebrow.

"I could say the same about you, I suppose."

"It's different…"

"Why?" Damon interrupted him. "Because you're the good brother? Because you saw her before?"

"Because I can make her happy and you can't. Because I'm better for her than you could ever be." Damon felt those words hit him like a punch and the pain was bigger than if he had really been hit. "You are the way you are and you're not going to change, I presume. Maybe at the beginning it will be alright, but what do you think will happen at the long term?"

"You're also a vampire, remember? A dangerous predator."

"But I can give her some things that you obviously can't. Stability for example."

"Who cares about stability? And I could also give her some things you obviously can't." Damon smirked. "Do you want me to tell you or do you prefer to ask her?"

"Damon, I'm serious." Stefan cut him off.

"And I am serious too. We should let her choose…" Damon started and even though he spoke confident, he wasn't sure anymore.

"And are we really going to let her choose knowing that if she did the wrong choice she would be unhappy for the rest of her life or maybe even for the rest of eternity?"

"I'm not the wrong choice."

"You could be her worst choice. And you know it as well as I do."

"I don't care about what you think!" Damon exploded, he was really angry now, he couldn't let Stefan just talk that way about him but probably his violent reaction was because he knew that somehow his brother was right.

"But if what you have told me is true, then you do care about Elena. That should be enough for you to realize and to do something about it."

Damon doubted, he didn't want to give up on Elena, but maybe Stefan was right.

* * *

_Please review!_

_And I'd love you to tell me if you liked it and what you think is going to happen!_

_Do you think that somehow Stefan is right?_

_What is Damon going to do?_


	13. The best

_Thank you all for your reviews!_

* * *

**13. The Best**

When Stefan and Damon got back in the house Elena was nervous, she breathed slowly to calm down, she had already made a choice, it had been hard but she was completely sure about it. However, their faces disconcerted her, there was something strange in the ambient.

"Elena, we have to talk." Damon said in a tone of voice that she didn't like. She looked into his eyes, Stefan didn't say anything, they only moved some meters and she thought it was just symbolic because from there Stefan could still hear all that they said.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"I compelled you." Damon said avoiding looking into her eyes. It took her a second to realize what he was talking about. She tilted her head to one side.

"Why would you lie to me?"

"I did compel you, Elena."

"I know you didn't!" She couldn't understand what he was trying to do. She looked at Stefan who wasn't looking at them, as if he wasn't listening to their conversation but Elena knew that he was. "Damon you don't have to do this." She said slowly.

"But it's what I want, I already got what I wanted from you." Elena felt those words hurt her like if they were sharp swords, he continued talking. "I was only with you because you reminded me of Katherine. But now that Stefan knows where she is, I can just go and find her."

"So why did you tell Sam that you were over her?" She asked, she didn't believe him… she couldn't believe him.

"So that he let me leave, so that he didn't kill me."

"And why did you come to save me?"

"Come on, Stefan would have got mad if not and anyway I couldn't let Sam kill you before I had tasted you."

"I don't believe you." She spoke slowly.

"Why not? I'm the bad brother." He said that looking at Stefan, and Elena noticed it.

"Damon look at me." She took his face so that he looked at her but his eyes kept avoiding hers. "Listen you both, I have already made my choice."

"Well, who cares? I'm leaving." Damon replied. "I tasted your blood which was freaking tasty, we had sex, we had fun but that's it, that's all I wanted from you." Elena slapped him as she felt tears come to her eyes but she couldn't let them out right now.

Damon remained with a static mask on his face, he moved towards the door. Stefan took Damon's arm and spoke very low.

"Stop it, Damon, you're hurting her."

Damon shook his arm so that Stefan let go of him and looked at his brother with an angry look.

"I'm doing you a favor so shut up and be grateful." He spoke in a low voice so that Elena couldn't hear it. Then he turned to Elena again. "I'm leaving."

"You lie." She insisted, a part of her still couldn't believe all that he had said.

"No I don't." His voice was rude and rough. He turned around and walked out the door wishing she'd take his hand, all he wanted to do was to turn around and kiss her, but he knew that he couldn't do it. Stefan got out of the house after him.

"Thank you." He said. Damon looked at him, full of pain and anger.

"I didn't do it for you." He used his incredible vampire speed to get away from there so that he wasn't tempted to go back to that house.

* * *

Damon went to the boarding house to take his things even though he didn't care about them anymore. He walked next to a table full of glasses and bottles of liquor and he hit it, making them all fall to the floor and breaking into millions of tiny pieces as he screamed in anger. He couldn't stay in Mystic Falls. Not after what he had said to Elena. He wouldn't be able to stay around her and see her back again with Stefan… Not after everything that had happened. And probably the worst was that now she hated him and it was his very own fault. And he was alone in the world. Again. He looked at his reflection and hit the mirror so hard that it broke as his eyes filled with tears. He felt hatred for Stefan… and for himself. After what had happened with Katherine that had left him broken hearted for so long, how dared Stefan step in his way with Elena? Probably Stefan could ask the same thing of him. Stefan had truly been the first one to be with Elena. But why was that a point for him? Damon suddenly felt as if he had made a terrible mistake. He remembered Elena's perfect face, the taste of her lips, the taste of her blood… But it was the best for her, wasn't it? Anyway he could just have left, there was no need to tell her all those horrible things that had probably hurt her so much. She said she had chosen, had she chosen him?

He took a broken glass out of his hand so that the wound could heal normally.

"The Salvatore brothers get mad for the same girl again." A voice behind him spoke. He turned around to find a girl exactly like Elena but whose eyes contained that mockery and hatred that wasn't in Elena's eyes. She was dressed with a short dress like any other modern girl and her hair was long and curly. Katherine smiled as she raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want?" He asked. She looked so much like Elena with those clothes on her that it was hurtful to look at her.

"I expected some other kind of welcome from you."

"So what did you expected after a hundred and forty-five years?" Katherine got closer to him and touched his chest. Damon looked at her frowning.

"They told me you were looking for me." She said seductively.

"Not anymore." He replied reluctantly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Damon, I know she's with Stefan and you know it too." She had probably been somewhere near the house when they had had that conversation.

"So you had a daughter." He said changing the route of their conversation.

"No one could know. It would have destroyed my reputation, you know it. So my parents gave her in adoption. They didn't even let me see her."

"Is it too much if I ask who the father was? Anyway, how would you know?" He said smirking and she gave him a dangerous look.

"You're jealous?"

"Not at all." He replied convinced.

"Damon, Damon, Damon…"

"What I find weird is that you come right now, that you have to remember me now. You got tired of your other vassals?"

"You're being very rude, you naughty boy." She said caressing his chest and he took a step back.

"I'm not the person you knew anymore."

"And who are you, then?" She raised an eyebrow. He didn't reply to that question because he didn't really have an answer.

"You know, I had so many questions for you, like why you didn't come for me before. But I really don't care anymore." As he spoke it aloud it also made him realize to what extent this was true.

"But I'm here now which is what matters. And you are alone. We could just have some fun." She got closer to him again and now looking at her he tried to imagine that it was Elena which considering the physical resemblance wasn't that difficult. She kissed his lips softly and he kissed her back trying to feel as if he was kissing Elena's lips. She put her arms around his neck. He ran his hands under her dress and lifted her, she curled her legs around his waist. Katherine bit his lower lip playfully and when she was trying to get rid of his pants he let go of her. He couldn't pretend, he just couldn't do it, he didn't find any good at it.

"What's wrong?" Katherine asked.

"Go." He said.

"I really don't like that that girl has made you both forget me. I think I will have to have a little talk with her."

"Forget it! Don't you dare put your eyes on her!" Damon prevented her, with a dangerous tone of voice. Katherine smirked.

"Don't worry, she's family. You're really into her, are you not? You have to forget her, Damon. How long will it take you? A hundred and forty-five years? And then you'll go for someone who looks exactly the same?" She asked with mockery. He wasn't in the mood of standing any kind of mockery, he just took her by the neck but she took his hand and made so much pressure that it made his scream. "I'm older and that means I'm stronger than you, don't ever forget that. I'll just leave you alone with your pain and your regret until you realize that you are alone and then you'll come back to my feet.

"No I won't." Damon replied sure of himself and Katherine stared at him. "Because you are not worth it, it took me too long to realize that but I know it now."

"So what are you going to do?" Katherine asked halfway out the door.

"Not of your business." Damon replied turning around.

* * *

_I hope you don't hate me because of this chapter. I know it was... stressing? I don't know which is the word to define it._

_So what did you think of Damon saying that to Elena?_

_Some of you maybe believe that he wouldn't have done it... but in my opinion he loves her, he thinks it's the best for her, so he does it. But please it's not like in New Moon! Don't think of that! I promise it won't be like that!_

_What do you think Damon is going to do? Is he really leaving or is he coming back?_

_What about Katherine's entrance?_

_And what is Elena going to do?_


	14. Options

_Thank you all so much for your reviews!_

* * *

**14****. Options**

Elena was devastated and when Stefan hugged her she let him do it. She felt terribly stupid but she knew that she had to do something or at least to say something.

"Stefan I'm sorry if I've hurt you." She said. He didn't say anything, he just caressed her hair and that, to her own surprise, made her feel uncomfortable. "I-I need to be alone for awhile to think about everything that's been happening lately." Stefan let go of her and looked into her eyes. "I'm very… I don't know, it has been too much, Stefan. I just need time."

"If that's what you need, you have it." He said and she felt the pain wrap her. Now that she was looking at him she knew that she didn't feel that love anymore, why couldn't it just come back…? Maybe because deep inside her she knew that she didn't want it to come back. Stefan smiled briefly but his eyes remained sad when he left. He got out of the house in the precise moment when Jenna and Jeremy were coming back.

"Hello Stefan." Jenna said friendly.

"Hello. I-I have to leave." He replied.

"See you around."

"Where's Damon?" Jeremy asked her and Elena tried to remain calm and serene.

"He's gone." She didn't leave time for more questions, she got upstairs almost running and locked her bedroom door just before the tears came to her eyes and she let herself fall to the floor against the door. She felt so terribly stupid… she felt used. It was as if she had a hole in her chest right now that didn't let her breath. She put her arms around her chest as if that way she could somehow fix the broken or take away the pain. Something inside of her didn't want to believe that it was true, something told her that there was too much evidence to disprove what Damon had said. But why would he have said it then? She thought that probably this part of her just wanted to believe it because it was less painful. How could things change so much in a day?

She had always known when Damon was lying so how was it possible that he was just faking everything… It was so weird, when Damon said those things he wouldn't look into her eyes and some of those words he even said them looking at Stefan, why would he do that? Maybe it was just her imagination… but she knew it wasn't, she knew what she had seen… she just didn't understand it. What did they talk about? What piece of the puzzle was she missing?

* * *

When Stefan got home Damon wasn't there anymore, he had already left. Stefan got into his brother's room and found the wardrobe open and empty. He also found all the mess of the mirror and the cups and bottles of liquor broken. He didn't blame Damon for that, he must have been really hurt… could it be true that Damon was in love with Elena? Stefan hadn't believed it completely until he had seen Damon saying those things to her which had obviously hurt her but that were the best… He had really been hurt when he had seen Elena with Damon and had truly believed that Damon had compelled her… but if he had, why would he deny it? It would have been such a triumph for him upon his brother if all he wanted was to hurt Stefan… to compel his girlfriend to have sex and take her blood. But what Stefan didn't want to believe is that she had done it with free will, even though deep inside of him he knew that this was the way it was.

* * *

The next day Elena went to high school with her car even though she wasn't really in the mood of seeing anyone. But she had decided that she wasn't going to stay at home feeling sorry for herself for what had happened. Bonnie wasn't there and she really didn't feel like telling Caroline the whole story right now so she just walked in the history classroom but couldn't concentrate. When the bell rang she walked out of the classroom just to find Stefan waiting for her. She took a deep breath knowing that she had to talk to him.

"Hello." He smiled and she felt terribly guilty, why was he so nice to her after what had happened? "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright." She replied and looked around them to make sure that there was no one. "We have to talk." She said and Stefan took her hand and took her outside, where they were completely alone. "Stefan I'm sorry because I shouldn't have cheated on you, I know that. But my feelings have changed so much…"

"You love him." Stefan understood without her saying it. She didn't answer to that but her eyes told him that he was right. He felt the pain come over him. "But he's gone, Elena."

"I know. And I really love you, Stefan, all that we've been through together, it was all so beautiful and I've truly loved you so much. But I've realized that I'm not in love with you anymore. And I know I can't have him but that's not a reason for me just going into your arms, I suppose you understand that. I really wish the feeling I had for you could come back, Stefan, but I know it won't. And I'm sorry for that."

Stefan understood in that moment the terrible mistake he had made. The fact is that he'd always thought that if Damon left, Elena would throw herself into Stefan's arms just like she had said, but now he understood that it had been a foolish thought. Now he wished terribly that he hadn't left but would that really have changed something? Elena probably had had feelings for Damon all along and this had just made her realize it.

"I'm sorry too." He said. "Anyway, if you change your mind, you know where you can find me."

"Don't do that, Stefan. I don't want you to expect me to change my mind because I won't."

"Elena I will wait for you for the rest of eternity." He didn't mean to make her feel uncomfortable, he was just being sincere.

"Don't." She replied.

Stefan took a deep breath and hugged her, she hugged him back, and even though he was terribly hurt he understood that right now both of them were broken hearted.

* * *

_The Friday of that same week, 4 days __later._

Damon's phone wouldn't stop ringing. He looked at the screen just to read STEFAN again. He wasn't going to pick up, after what had happened, what the hell could Stefan want? To remind him that he was the one to have Elena? That wasn't exactly like Stefan but what else could he want. _I don't care_, Damon thought switching his phone off. He was in New York, in a striptease bar with a glass full of liquor on one hand. Why couldn't he find any fun in this anymore? If he was evil, if that was all he could ever be… He saw one of the girls who had finished her work and was going out by the back door. He got out quickly to find her as if casually and she smiled at him. She looked drunk so it would be easier to compel her. He was ready to suck all her blood out but she suddenly took her reddish wig off to reveal a beautiful long brown hair. It reminded him of Elena…

"What are you doing the rest of the night?" The girl asked him, now that the thought of Elena was in his mind he couldn't do this… but maybe the blood would take away his pain.

"Forget her." He said aloud.

"I could help you do that." She offered with a smile.

He took her hand and drove her to a place where no one would see them as she giggled. He bit her neck and she didn't even scream. He did it systematically, finding no pleasure in it. The blood didn't satisfy him, it didn't calm the pain, it didn't take the thought of Elena away. He got away of the girl, he wasn't going to kill her.

He remembered his phone and thought of something… how hadn't he realized that before?

"You want more?" The girl asked with excitement in her eyes.

"No." He replied not believing the words as they came out of his mouth. "Go sleep." He said looking straight into her eyes, using compulsion.

"I think I'll just go have some sleep." She said with a smile.

He turned around and switched his phone on.

7 missed calls. And he had only had his phone off for about twenty minutes. They were all from Stefan. So what if something had happened? A part of him told him that it wasn't of his business anymore. But he had left knowing that Katherine was still there and that Stefan wasn't strong enough to fight against other vampires, even less against Katherine… so maybe Elena was in danger. He had to come back to Mystic Falls.

* * *

It was Friday and Elena had passed all the week without news from Bonnie who wouldn't answer her phone. She decided to go over to her house and visit her. Bonnie was her best friend and she needed to talk to her and tell her what had happened even though she knew that she wouldn't like at all the fact that Elena had slept with Damon, even less the one that she had let him drink her blood. But she was her friend so she would support her.

When she rang the bell of the house Bonnie opened the door. In that moment Elena felt all the feelings that she had been repressing for the whole week now wrap her. Elena's tears were beginning to fall down and Bonnie hugged her immediately.

* * *

Jenna opened the door and found Elena outside with a beautiful smile on her face and with a strange look in her eyes. She was dressed with a short dress which Jenna found funny because she didn't remember Elena going out of the house with those clothes on. _It's probably the age_, she thought, _I'm getting old and my memory too_.

"Have you forgotten your keys?" Jenna asked her.

"Yep, I've left them in my bedroom. Silly me!"

"Well, come in." Elena's smile grew bigger when she heard those words and she followed Jenna as she took the step that led her inside the house.

* * *

_I know this chapter was a lot about the feelings of the characters but it also has action! I promise next chapter will be very intense!_

_Did you expect Elena to go back with Stefan? (I suppose you didn't)_

_So what do you think Elena's reaction will be when Damon comes back?_

_And what about the last part? Don't you find something very weird about "Elena"?_

_Review please!_

_Hope you liked it!_


	15. Family

_So here you have a new chapter!_

_Thank you all for the reviews!_

* * *

**15****. Family**

Elena drove home somehow happier. Bonnie had really supported her and hadn't been so mad at her for what had happened with Damon. Elena knew, however that her friend was happy that Damon was gone right now because she believed it was the best for her.

"I'm home!" Elena said getting into the house. Jenna got out of the kitchen with Alaric by her side.

"I know, I opened the door for you!"

"What?" Elena asked confused.

"Have you changed your clothes?" Jenna asked staring at her and Elena frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, don't try to let me like a fool. Have you gone out and come in again?" Elena didn't understand a thing about what Jenna was saying but suddenly she felt understanding wrap her and she opened her eyes and mouth. "Are you alright, Elena? The last week you've been acting very weird." She looked at Alaric who understood her look and got in the kitchen again to leave them alone. "Do you want to talk about boys, Elena?"

"Not now." Elena got upstairs quickly and into her room and it was empty. She looked all around the house and found nothing… Maybe Jenna was just joking… but something told her that she wasn't.

* * *

Damon arrived to the boarding house and found Stefan in the living room with a glass full of liquor on his hand.

"It was a stupid idea." Stefan said, Damon could tell from his voice that he was pretty wasted. "She loves you. She broke up with me because she loves you." Damon frowned even though deep inside he felt relief and tender awaken.

"So you called me about fifteen times to tell me that she loves me? Why would you want be back, then?"

"Because I thought I could make her happy. But it's not me that she wants. And now that she has made her choice, I want her to be happy, even though I can't be the one to make her happy."

"So what if I tell you that I don't want her anymore?"

"Then you'd be lying."

"Wow, you really impressed me. I've always known that you were Saint Stefan but this… Confess, is it the result of alcohol?"

"Maybe. Don't hurt her, Damon." Stefan looked at his brother. "Don't hurt her or I promise I will kill you myself."

"There'll be no need."

Damon felt so happy to know that Elena was going to choose him… He was thankful to his brother but he wasn't going to say it, it was obvious enough. He knew that Elena wouldn't want anything from him after what he had said… but she still loved him, right?

* * *

Elena woke up from a nightmare. She turned the light on and gasped when she saw in front of her as if a reflection, a girl who looked exactly the same as her, except that she wasn't in her nightgown, she was wearing a beautiful skirt and shirt.

"Katherine." Elena said.

"Mm… so you know who I am. That way we'll avoid presentations, they're so boring." She said with mockery. "Wow, this is amazing, you look exactly the same as me." She said getting closer to the bed, Elena remained where she was trying to control her fear.

"What do you want?"

"It's just a family visit. It's such a shame that now you have the Gilbert surname. The Gilberts chased us…" Katherine giggled as she walked around the bed as a predator observing its prey. "So you've got the Salvatore brothers at your feet. I see you follow my example."

"I don't. I chose, well, they chose before I did."

"Seriously? Well, yes I remember hearing something about that. How could you do that? I never could."

"You never intended to from what I know."

"You're right and now I come back and they both reject me because they want you…"

"Damon rejected you?" Elena asked frowning.

"Yes. I couldn't believe it either! Ungrateful boys… It's nice to meet the family though. Because the family sticks together no matter what." Katherine got closer to her and Elena tried to get out of the room but Katherine was faster and she grabbed her. "Remain quite." She said staring into her eyes and Elena obeyed. "You don't have vervain, that's weird." Katherine bit her wrist and made Elena drink her blood.

* * *

When Damon saw Elena's house in the darkness it was quite late and he knew it. But he needed to see her and give her the necklace he had in his pocket to replace the old one. She would be asleep so by the moment he wouldn't need to think about how to explain his reasons to her. He suddenly heard a funny noise which would have been impossible to hear for a human. He frowned as he got to the house as quickly as he could. He saw by the window that Katherine was forcing Elena to drink her blood and he felt the rage take control of him. He took a branch from the tree he was on. The window was open so he entered literally throwing himself over Katherine, the impact made them crash against the wall as the sharp branch got through Katherine's chest who screamed in pain. The improvised stake had not gone through her heart, it had just hurt her badly. For Damon's surprise Elena would not move from where she was standing. He looked at Katherine again, he had to decide what to do with her.

"Come on, Damon." Katherine said in a whisper. "Like if you didn't want her to turn…"

"But I will be the one to turn her and when she asks me to."

He could just let her go and her wounds would heal… or he could kill her… He frowned, he had loved Katherine a long time ago… but right now she was a danger for Elena.

"Damon, please." Katherine said in a weak voice. He knew she liked revenge, he knew that she wouldn't just leave and forget everything, that if she had tried to transform Elena she wasn't just going to give up at once. "I have people waiting for me." She said with effort. "If I don't come back, they'll come here…" She had been invited in. And like she had reminded him recently, she was stronger, so if he let her live, she wouldn't leave it that way.

"I told you not to touch her." He replied slowly as he stabbed the sharp branch through Katherine's heart. He watched her die in his arms, he couldn't believe it and couldn't stop staring at her. When he looked up he found Elena staring at him with a horrified look. He realized that she was looking at Katherine, not at him.

"Elena…" he whispered getting up and approaching her just to find that each step he took towards her she would take a step backwards to get away from him.

"Go." She said in shock when she couldn't go back anymore because she was against the wall. He was now close to her and she looked into his eyes. He realized that she was trembling.

He took her hair to put it at one side of her face and she tried to stop him but he was stronger. He put the necklace around her neck and when he was done Elena took the necklace in one hand and stared at it. He put his hands at both sides of her head but now that she wouldn't look at him he understood that maybe he had made a mistake coming back, that she didn't want him anymore. He descended his hands slowly and turned around to go away when he felt a small hand grabbing his arm. He turned to face her and she slapped him so hard that he took a hand to his jaw.

"Why, Damon?" Elena asked. "Why?"

* * *

_There are just a few things I wanted to explain._

_First: I don't dislike Stefan, I think he's a good person. I think he has enough not getting the girl, let's give him at least the opportunity of doing it in a good way._

_Second: I really didn't want Katherine to die... at least not yet. I had even made plans for her for the following chapters of the story. But seriously, when I got there, there was no other way. I tried to turn it somehow so that Damon didn't have to kill her but it was the only thing that could be done. Those of you who are writers probably understand what I mean. But there was no other way._

_Third: Elena's reaction. I supposed you would be puzzled at that, so I'll just explain my point of view. She is very shocked, Katherine has just tried to turn her, Damon who had said all those things comes back and kills Katherine in front of her. A bit too much? Well, she is very confused because of Damon's return and because of what he does and shocked because of what has happened. She isn't asking him why he has killed Katherine, but why he left, why he has done this... I hope you understand it better now!_

_Alright, so how did you feel about it?_

_Did you think Elena's reaction would be other? I didn't expect her reaction to be that one before I wrote it but here again… the character decided by itself._

_What do you think is going to happen now? Is Elena going to let Damon in again?_

_Review please!_


	16. We'll be a dream

_Thanks for the reviews._

_I post the very end of last chapter in this one too because the story continues in that moment, so that it is easier for you to catch up!_

* * *

**16. ****We'll be a dream**

"Go." She said in shock when she couldn't go back anymore because she was against the wall. He was now close to her and she looked into his eyes. He realized that she was trembling.

He took her hair to put it at one side of her face and she tried to stop him but he was stronger. He put the necklace around her neck and when he was done Elena took the necklace in one hand and stared at it. He put his hands at both sides of her head but now that she wouldn't look at him he understood that maybe he had made a mistake coming back, that she didn't want him anymore. He descended his hands slowly and turned around to go away when he felt a small hand grabbing his arm. He turned to face her and she slapped him so hard that he took a hand to his jaw.

"Why, Damon?" Elena asked. "Why?"

He hugged her and at the beginning she resisted and tried to get away from him but when his arms were around her she stopped fighting and started to tremble as she sobbed and he caressed her hair. She put her face against his chest and he held her closer.

When she stopped trembling she breathed hard and got away from him enough to look into his eyes.

"We have to get rid of her." Damon said pointing with his head towards Katherine. "After that I'll explain everything to you." Elena nodded.

* * *

They burnt Katherine's body in the boarding house. Stefan wasn't there when they arrived. Elena was in her nightgown full of Katherine's blood and the boarding house was cold and she was starting to tremble again. Damon gave her a blanket so that she was warmer. Elena sat on the couch, she was so confused… Damon came and sat next to her. She looked at him, she knew that it must have been hard for him to kill Katherine and that he had done it only to protect her… but she didn't understand why he had done it.

"You keep changing your mind?" She asked with curiosity. "You can't expect to come back and find things the way you left them."

"My mistake was to listen to my stupid brother… I guess I could be considered stupid for that too."

"What does Stefan have to do with all this?" Elena asked remembering when they had gone outside to talk and when Damon had looked at Stefan. "What did you talk about?"

"He said I wasn't good enough for you." Elena opened her eyes unable to say anything and unable to believe what Damon was telling her. "And I thought it was true. I thought you were still in love with my brother and that in the long term he would make you happier. I still think that probably he was right… but I should just have let you choose."

"Stefan said that?"

"But then you told him that you were in love with me." He ignored her question and looked at her intensely, she didn't know what to say right now. "And he called me, so I came back."

"So you lied?" She asked and it wasn't so hard to believe. At the beginning she hadn't believed him but then as he kept insisting she thought that maybe it was true and the fact that he could be lying had no sense at that time. But it did now.

"Yes." He stared into her eyes and she felt happy, as if the hole she had felt inside of her was gone, but somehow she remained cautious.

"I'm not Saint Stefan, Elena. I'm not even Saint Damon and you have to know that." He wanted her to choose knowing things the way they were, not assuming something that wasn't true.

"I already knew it before… and I've always liked you the way you are." She remained silent for a moment. "It must have been hard for you to kill her…" Elena spoke slowly.

"There was no other option, I had to do it to protect you."

"Why?" She already knew the answer but she wanted him to tell her. She got closer to him on the couch to give him more confidence. He took her hand and caressed it then looked into her eyes.

"Because I love you." Elena smiled and took his face in her hands and kissed him. He kissed her back pulling her closer and placing her so that she was in front of him, with her legs around his waist. Elena got away from him for an instant.

"Promise me you won't go when someone comes and puts the thought that it's better for me in your head."

"Don't worry, I will bother you and won't leave until you want me to." Elena kissed him again and the kiss got passionate while she let herself fall onto the sofa, with Damon on top of her. He went down and kissed her neck but then a noise made him stop and Elena tried to look back to see what was happening. They heard the door open and then Stefan's voice and a girl's giggle. Damon frowned and Elena looked at him maybe to understand something. Damon sat and helped her sit up.

Stefan got in the living room with a beautiful girl by his side. She had long black hair and blue eyes. Stefan stopped smiling when he saw them and the girl just stared at them. There was a brief moment of silence until Damon cleared his throat and Stefan seemed to get out of his trance.

"Umm… yes… This is Sarah. Sarah, these are my brother Damon and Elena. Sarah is a vampire, I've known her for many years at the time when you got tired of following me everywhere." He said looking at Damon.

"I've never followed you; do you know what schizophrenia paranoid is? You should really get treatment."

"Well, you have to be his lovely brother Damon, then. I've heard about you." Sarah said with sarcasm.

"I've never heard a word about you, though."

"And Elena." She ignored Damon. "I've heard about you too." There was a strange tone in her voice when she said that and Elena didn't know how to interpret it. She felt uncomfortable but Damon squeezed her hand and she smiled.

"It's been a pleasure." She said. "But Jenna won't take long to be awake and I don't want to scare her to death when she sees I'm not at home, so I'd better get there before she notices I'm gone."

"I'll take you home." Damon offered and Stefan looked at them both in silence, Sarah didn't say a word.

* * *

"She's creepy." Damon said when they were outside the house and Elena laughed.

They got to her house and he helped her in by the window because she had forgotten her keys inside. Once they were in her bedroom Damon sat on the sofa next to the bed while Elena got into her bed.

"Are you going to stay here?"

"Yep. Katherine said she had friends, I don't want any surprise like the one before. Maybe you could come over to the boarding house for some time."

"And what about Jenna and Jeremy?"

"I don't think they are in danger. But you look exactly like her… they'll suspect…"

"I'll think about your offer." She smiled. "You're really not going to stay there until the sun rises, are you?"

"I've already told you I'm not leaving you alone."

"I didn't mean that." He stared at her and she sighted when she realized that he didn't understand her. "Come here." Damon grinned.

"You know that I don't need an invitation to get into your bed."

"I know." She smiled.

"And even if I needed it, I've already been there." He smirked and Elena stuck out her tongue at him.

"Well, are you coming or not?" He let himself fall over her bed next to her and started tickling her. "Stop it!" She said giggling. "We're going to wake Jenna up and I bet she won't be happy at all to see you in my bed."

"I bet."

Elena's eyes began to close as she turned to his side, he took her hair and placed it behind her ear.

"You know…" she began half asleep. "I hated you because of what you said. But I knew you didn't mean it."

"Of course you did, no one doubted your sixth sense."

"I sense sarcasm in your voice." Damon laughed and now she had her eyes closed. When her breath began to be slow he caressed her face and she moaned, he smiled to that and placed his arm around her waist when she turned to the other side as he got closer to her like if it was an attempt to protect her, to feel her, to realize that after all, they were there together.

* * *

_As sad as it is to say it, I think there are only going to be one or two more chapters for this story (just now that this new character has appeared). Probably two, but I'm not sure. I'm enjoying so much writing it that I don't want to finish. Let me know what you think!_

_By the way, next chapter will be VERY intense!_

_I hope you enjoyed this one!_

_Review please!_


	17. Choices

_I'm sorry I didn't update before but this has been a really busy week. It is the longest chapter as compensation. So I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

**17. ****Choices**

When Elena woke up Damon was asleep beside her with his arm around her waist. She smiled as she turned to his side and leaned to kiss him in the mouth. He smiled half asleep and Elena kissed him again and this time he kissed her back as he awakened.

"Good morning." She said.

"Good morning." He smiled.

Someone rang the door's bell and Elena looked at Damon.

"Next time you went to open the door it didn't work out very well." He said.

"I know… But imagine it's for me, Jenna will come in here and… well. I don't know if you remember that you're on my bed."

"I'd forget that." He replied with sarcasm. He kissed her briefly before she went out smiling at him one last time.

She ran downstairs. Jenna had already opened the door and Bonnie was there, Elena gasped when she saw her.

"Hi!" Bonnie said.

"Hey…" Elena whispered, she took her friend's hand and drove her to the living room and they sat on the couch.

"You're better." Bonnie smiled. "You've finally realized that Damon is not someone to worry about?"

"He's back." Elena spoke slowly and Bonnie stared at her unable to believe her.

"You mean he has just come back and you have let him in your life again as if nothing had happened?" She was mad, Elena could tell.

"You see, it's not exactly like that, it's a bit more complicated."

"Oh, is it? Then explain it to me, Elena because I don't understand it."

"He left because Stefan told him it was the best for me and he believed it."

"So why is he back, then?"

"Because I don't love Stefan and they want me to be happy, he has realized that it is my choice."

"How do you know he's not lying now?"

"Come on, Bonnie, I know it. Everything makes sense."

"Well, then he shouldn't have come back." Elena stared at her friend. "Don't look at me like that, Elena. I don't like him. He's evil and you should realize that, I don't see what is blinding you."

"Bonnie I love him."

"That doesn't change who he is, Elena. And I'm not going to stay here and see how you succumb to his charm and then how you'll come sweeping to me when he leaves again. You should be wiser than that. He's not going to bring anything good to your life." Elena remained silent for a while, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Maybe with you he's alright, but not with the rest of us. So what will happen when he gets mad at someone or is hungry and he kills? If you want to be with him, alright, it's your choice, but don't make us all pay for the consequences of your choices."

"What are you asking me to do?" Elena understood that the word "choice" had been said with too much emphasis.

"I'm just showing you the reality and then it is all up to you."

"I can't believe you're asking me to choose, Bonnie. You know I can't do that. You know I'm not going to do it." Bonnie got up while Elena stared at her.

"Then inform me once you've made your choice." Bonnie walked out of the living room and some seconds later Elena heard the front door closing. She felt two hands on her shoulders from behind her and she closed her eyes and sighed.

"My aunt's going to see you." She whispered.

"I don't care." Damon replied kissing her cheekbone as he put his arms around her neck. "Damned little witch." He had heard everything they had talked about.

"Elena!" Damon let go of her when Jeremy got in the living room. "Oh, hi Damon." He said. "Listen, have you bought Jenna's present?" Elena looked at him confused and then opened her mouth in realization. "Damn it! I thought you remembered it. And I can't go today, Anna and I have to do a homework."

"Since when do you do your homework?" Elena raised an eyebrow. "Jer, I don't think I can either."

"What's the matter?" Damon asked.

"Sunday is Jenna's birthday" Jeremy explained "and we were going to do a party for her tonight. We need a present and we haven't organized much yet. One of us should go and buy her the present."

"I can help you." Damon said looking at Elena. "I'm very good with presents."

"Great!" Jeremy smiled.

"Alright." Elena accepted. Damon took her hand and they got out of the house.

"It'll be good for you to clear your mind a little bit. I think we're asking too much from you, too many choices in too little time."

"I thought no one understood me!" Elena said with sarcasm, it was true what Damon had said. She felt overloaded. Damon drove her car and they arrived to the mall soon after. They looked in clothes shops, Elena was looking at the dresses. She took one of the dresses she had liked the most and walked to the changing room, Damon behind her. She put the dress on to try it before she gave it to Jenna but she didn't like how the back was…

"Can I have a look?" Damon asked and she could figure out his smile. She opened the door and he came in as she closed the door again.

"I don't like the back." She said.

"I like it." He ran a hand all over her spine making her shiver and she smiled kissing him, after a moment he pulled away. "Elena, you really don't want to have sex in a changing room, do you? I mean, it could be very interesting…" She slapped his chest laughing and opened the door so that he went out. "I really should have just shut up." He grinned.

"You should."

They got Jenna a beautiful necklace and Elena was very proud of her choice. When they got back to Elena's house they found Alaric outside waiting for them.

"Jeremy told me you were coming." He said. "I've got everything organized. We only have one problem. There are people coming from far away and I'm doing reparations at home. Jeremy said he could go over to a friend's house, if you could stay at Bonnie's or Caroline's, that'll be great. I'm sorry, I don't want to sound as if I'm trying to get you out of your house, which is exactly what I'm doing…"

"Don't worry." Elena said firmly. "I have no trouble with that."

"Thank you so much." Alaric felt relief, he probably didn't know very well how to ask Elena so that she didn't get mad. "I know I should have told you before but they've just called me today and said they were here. If you can't… I can try to book them a place at a hotel."

"It's really not a problem."

Elena got to her bedroom followed by Damon and started to put some clothes in a bag.

"I'll take care of the lingerie." He said with a smirk.

"Very funny." Damon laughed. Elena took her mobile phone out of her pocket and he stared at her. "What?" She asked.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think I am doing? I'm calling Caroline to see if I can stay at her house."

"You're not going to stay at her house." She raised an eyebrow waiting for an explanation. "You're coming to the boarding house. There is a threaten of dangerous vampires coming, remember?"

"Oh, come on, if it's only for that I don't need a bodyguard." Damon got closer to her and she shut up as she felt his closeness.

"It's not only for that." He kissed her neck as he put his hands around her waist.

"Alright, I get it. You've convinced me." He smirked satisfied.

Jenna loved her present. They were in the party for some time but there were all Jenna's friends and soon Elena got tired of drunk adults acting like drunk teenagers.

They got in Damon's car to get to the boarding house. Elena realized something.

"I still have her blood in my system, don't I?" Damon understood without the need of her explaining who she was referring to.

"Probably yes. I don't know how much you drunk, but it will last some more time."

"You told her you would turn me." Damon grinned.

"You remember that?" She nodded staring at her. There was no angriness in her eyes. "When you want me to I will."

"You know what? I never really considered that option until…" He looked at her for an instant but she remained silent.

"Until what?" he helped her.

"Until you drank my blood."

When they got to the house they found Stefan and Sarah in the living room watching TV. Stefan stared at Elena and her bag.

"Jenna's having a party and they've asked me to leave." She explained.

"We're going somewhere out." Sarah said getting up. "I want party. Do you want to come?" She asked Elena.

"I'm tired." It was not a lie, but it was not completely true. She really didn't want to hang out with Stefan and his friend right now. She had better plans in mind.

"You don't want a room of your own, do you?" Damon asked her when they were walking upstairs.

"Not really."

"Good because Sarah is in the guests' room and we have no more, I'm afraid."

"So why did you ask?"

"Only to see which your answer was." He grinned.

They got into his bedroom and Elena left her bag next to the bed. She looked around, opened the wardrobe and found it almost empty, but there was a bag next to it.

"I haven't put my things back there yet." He explained.

"You know? I had never been in your bedroom before." He looked at her in surprise and then walked behind her putting his hands around her waist and kissed her neck.

"You like it?"

"It's very much like you." He grinned. Elena opened her bag to put her pajama on. She took her shirt off and realized Damon was looking at her smiling.

"So you're tired?" He asked.

"It was an excuse not to go with them." She confessed taking her jeans off. She was left with the two pieces of lingerie. Before she took her pajama she smiled and looked at him.

"Hmm…" Damon purred getting closer to her. Soon enough she was against the wall and he was really close to her. Elena looked up, his mouth was so close to hers she could feel his breath, she put her face up and he kissed her, his tongue caressing hers. She took the back of his head and pulled him closer. He caressed her back and made his hands run up and down her spine, and Elena moaned. He took her leg up and put it around his waist. Elena unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. She jumped a little to put her other leg around his waist too and he took her in his arms while he kissed her anxiously. He let her fall over the bed, he was in top of her, she unwrapped her legs from his waist but he was still between them. Damon kissed down her neck and collarbone as he took her bra off. Elena tried to get off his jeans with her feet putting all her concentration and effort into it and Damon laughed helping her. Elena laughed too and he kissed her again as he caressed her legs and took his hands to take her panties off. Elena moaned when she felt his hands leaving her completely naked, she bit his lower lip and he smiled and kissed her again.

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_Well, what did you think about Bonnie's reaction?_

_Next chapter will be the last so please let me know what you think!_


	18. Blood

_Alright, so here you have the last chapter. It's quite a short chapter, but I hope you like it anyway._**

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**18. Blood**

One year later.

Sarah opened the door of the boarding house to find Elena there.

"Hey" Elena said. Sarah smiled at her and then got back to Stefan who kissed her. Elena was glad that Stefan had finally found someone he loved, maybe he hadn't completely forgotten her but she was sure that his love for Sarah was real.

Stefan looked at her and Elena smiled before getting quickly upstairs. She got in Damon's bedroom and found him sitting on the bed. He grinned and made a gesture with the head so that she came closer. Elena got to him and kissed him, sitting on top of him. Then she moved away and sat next to him.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked kissing her neck and caressing her stomach.

"It's time to leave for college." Elena said. In less than a month college would start. "So anyway I would be getting somewhere else and leaving Jenna's house."

"And what about your friends?"

"Caroline and Matt are alright together. And you know I still don't have any relationship with Bonnie. But why are you asking so much? You don't want to turn me?"

"I do. Of course I do. I just want you to know what you're going to have to leave behind. I don't want to sell it to you as if it were all advantages; I want you to know exactly how it is, so that you can choose."

"I've made my choice." Elena was sure of herself, her voice sounded confident and Damon smiled.

"You don't want to say goodbye to them?"

"I already have. And I'll learn to control it and I'll come and see them all again someday."

"I had a lapis lazuli necklace for you, it could replace your vervain necklace." He got it out of his pocket and she stared at it, it was beautiful. He put it around her neck and took the vervain one away.

He kissed her and she took his face in her hands kissing him back. Damon pulled away and bit his wrist, making the blood go out. "It's been long since the last time I tasted your blood." She said.

"And you didn't do it willingly." He remembered too when he had threatened to turn her when he had wanted Stefan to help him get Katherine back from the tomb. Things had changed so much since then…

"But this time, I will." She grabbed his arm and first licked the wound and then began to drink the blood. Damon grinned staring at her. Once she moved away her eyes were bright and she cleaned her mouth with her hand, Damon helped her with his to take the blood away.

"I love you." Damon kissed her.

"Forever." Elena smiled.

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Check out my new story **Strange world**. It's set after FOUNDERS' DAY and contains spoilers of the season finale.

The summary of Strange world is: What would happen if Elena had been the one walking into the porch instead of Katherine?


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